We’re Back!

I didn’t mean to abandon the blog, but I had a sneaking suspicion that it might happen. My parents have dial-up internet and when we’re in DC, we just go go go. And in Philadelphia, the upscale hotels charge for internet access. And folks, we were upscale! Overall though, we did survive, had a great time, and Seamus got lots of bonding time with his six wonderful grandparents.

Some highlights:

• Watching Seamus discover and then OBSESS over the hearth at my parents’ house. It was just his size and he almost managed to climb up on it his last day there. We’re glad he never mastered that because that would have led to all kinds of complications with the woodburning stove. He had to settle for eating woodchips my dad scattered all over the hearth.
• Finding out two of my friends had their babies over the time we were gone. Welcome to Conner David and Molly Bennett!
• Going to see Up in the Air with Patrick in Nashville. It’s the first movie we’ve seen in the theatre since before Seamus was born. And since George Clooney can do almost no wrong, it was a great movie. Best line: “I don’t want to seem anti-feminist, because I appreciate all your generation did for me.” “Thank you.”
• Feeding Seamus some green curry broccoli. He didn’t like it. But we did. From Thai Corner, named a best DC restaurant by the sadly now defunct Gourmet.
• Meeting all of Seamus’s cousins on his father’s cousins’ side. There are babies there about his age, and they were fun to watch and to imagine them knowing each other in the future.
• Seeing all my friends in Kentucky and DC. It was great to see all of you and even if you made fun of me for blogging, I’ve now forgiven you and included you in this post. I hope to see all of you again on a road trip this summer. There were lots of changes this year and lots of things that hadn’t changed at all since college. Some were now married, some buying houses, some getting ready to send their son off to college, some finishing/starting school or new jobs, and everybody looks as young as they did back then. Except their children are getting too big!
• The look on Patrick’s mom’s face when we told her that Seamus had licked the armrest on the flight from Nashville to Baltimore.
• Seamus lighting up when he got home and got to play with all his own toys.
• Philadelphia–the hotel, the drive, the company, everything was special. Especially the giant tub in the hotel.
• The food and drinks were awesome.

Things that could have been improved:

1. Why did I bring all my running gear, when the weather would conspire mightily to make sure that not only would I not want to run, there would be snow so that I couldn’t?

Otherwise, I’m so glad to be home. I can’t wait to start writing again. Seamus just got into University daycare for the afternoons, so I’m looking forward to some quality writing time. Teaching is going to be great, and we have so much fun scheduled for the next few months: my birthday, clearly, skiing Taos, skiing Colorado, Louisville Conference, undetermined Spring Break (that for the first time since we got here, we share!). Stay tuned!

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